The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for communicating messages across computer networks. More specifically, the present invention relates to apparatus and methods for recording mixed-media messages and transmitting messages across computer networks such as the Internet.
Private Branch Exchange
The term Private Branch Exchange (PBX) refers generically to local telephone switching systems. PBX systems and central office telephone systems are well known in the art and are available from companies such as ATandT, Mitel Corporation, Northern Telecom, and others. PBX systems typically are coupled to a telephone trunk-line and provide service to internal telephone lines (extensions).
As has been the situation up to now, businesses have traditionally purchased stand-alone monolithic switching systems to provide internal and external telephone service to its workers. Because it has been difficult to expand and to add functionality to these established switching systems, businesses have been forced to buy separate stand-alone servers to increase functionality. Common examples of some of the functionality provided by stand-alone servers include auto-attendant servers, voice-mail servers, etc. Because of the closed nature of these stand-alone servers, it has also been difficult for businesses to upgrade these stand-alone servers.
Telephone related servers have thus been costly and difficult to maintain and expand.
Internet Phones
The prospect of consumers making a long distance call for the price of a local call has spawned the market for Internet-based telephony. There are two current techniques enabling consumers to make calls over the Internet.
One technique for internet-based telephony requires both the sending individual and the receiving individual to be connected to the internet, and require the receiver to have a known internet address. Typically the sender types-in the receiver""s known internet address, connects to the receivers computer across the internet, and when connection is made, talks to the receiver. This technique has several draw-backs, for example, individual users typically do not have their own unique internet address. Since individual users typically connect to the internet through an internet service provider (ISP), only when the user connects, will she have a dynamically assigned internet address. Thus, in order for another individual to contact her, she must somehow transmit the dynamically assigned internet address to the calling party and then await being contacted. With this technique the call must be pre-arraigned, and is limited to person to person calls. Another drawback is that the sender and the receiver need to be equipped with multimedia computers (as will be described below).
Another technique for internet-based telephony again requires both parties to be connected to the internet. Initially, both parties connect to a particular host site. This host site then provides both parties with a list of users coupled to that site, such as a conventional chat room. One party then selects the other party""s name from the list of names and then makes the connection. This technique has several draw-backs including that the users must rely on a third party host site in order to make contact with each other. Another drawback is that since both parties must actively contact the site before talking to each other, the call must be pre-arraigned.
No viable solutions have been proposed thus far which provide businesses with the capability to utilize Internet-based telephony.
Multimedia Computers
Multimedia computers are typically defined as computers having digital sound boards, speakers, microphones, CD-ROMS, etc. These components enable users to record and play-back sounds, images, etc. through the computer, among other functions.
In the business environment, audio input devices such as speaker phones or computer microphones are seldom used because most users work in cubicles with low partition walls. Since these types of input devices require a user to speak aloud, co-workers in adjacent cubicles may be disturbed. Audio output devices such as speaker phones and computer speakers are seldom used because of the same type of problem. Further, audio output devices often lead to productivity drops because of the fondness of users for entertainment programs.
Further, in the business environment, multimedia computers are seldom ordered or used because of the increased cost of equipping a computer with multimedia capability. Although the difference in price between multimedia equipped computers and non-multimedia equipped computers have decreased in the past years, the cost differential currently still approaches several hundred dollars. If the business does not absolutely need the multimedia capability, the choice of the ten non-multimedia computers is most logical.
Multimedia computers are thus seldom used or needed in the business environment.
Mixed-media Message Servers
Mixed-media message computer servers allow users to create, store, and send mixed-media messages to other users, via a computer network. Mixed-media messages are defined herein as messages, such as electronic mail (e-mail) messages (text), that include associated sound recordings, such as a voice message. Other possible combinations of media are facsimile (fax) transmissions associated with sound recordings, animation with sound, text, and music, etc.
In a typical work environment, the general concept of mixed-media messages is known. For example, take the situation of an editor returning a marked-up document to a writer. The editor may hand the document with the changes to the writer and at the same time the editor may say, xe2x80x9cPlease revise the second section, in general, your tone was too . . . xe2x80x9d In this example, the editor has given the writer a marked-up document (a first media) and verbal comments (a second media), thus a mixed-media message. Although the editor could have sent the document to the writer with a memo including the same contents as the verbal comments, it is believed that most people prefer to make verbal comments. Some common reasons why verbal comments are believed to be preferred over written documents include that it is easier and quicker to convey information, it is typically less formal, and it allows for spontaneous or last minute changes and ideas, and it carries the emotion of the speaker.
In the example above, if the editor and the writer are in offices in two different cities, most likely the editor would send the writer the marked-up document via inter-office mail, or via e-mail. However the editor would have to resort to another method in order to give the writer the verbal comments.
One method the editor could use is calling the writer directly on the phone, and if the writer were not in, the editor could leave the writer a voice-mail message. A drawback with this method is that the editor""s phone call, or message, is separated from the relevant document. Although the editor may refer to the marked-up document, the writer may not fully understand the editor""s comments until he reviews the changes in the document. Further, when the writer receives the document, the writer may have forgotten or lost the editor""s voice message. Another problem is that since the phone call is separated from the document, the writer may think the editor is referring to an entirely different document. Thus, as illustrated, the lack of connection between the two closely related messages has drawbacks.
A method is available to users only if both the users have multimedia computers. In this special case, the editor uses her multimedia computer""s microphone and sound card to digitize a voice message and attaches the recorded message to the revised document. This mixed-media message is then sent to the writer. Upon receipt of the multi-media message, the writer uses his multimedia computer""s speakers and sound card to play the digitized voice message. A drawback with this method is that if the writer does not have a multimedia computer, the attached recorded message is meaningless.
FIG. 1 illustrates a system including multimedia computers described immediately above. FIG. 1 illustrates multimedia computers 100 and 110 and e-mail servers 120 and 130. Multimedia computer 100 is coupled to e-mail server 120 by LAN 140 and multimedia computer 110 is coupled to e-mail server 130 by LAN 150. E-mail servers 120 and 130 are coupled to each other through a network such as the Internet. Multimedia computers 100 and 110 include digital sound boards (not shown), speakers 160 and 170, and microphones 180 and 190, respectively.
In the method described above, a user uses multimedia computer 100 to generate a message such as an e-mail message. The user may then use microphone 180 and the sound board on multimedia computer 100 to record a voice message. Using client software resident on multimedia computer 100, the two messages are combined into one mixed-media message.
Once this mixed-media message is generated in multimedia computer 100, the message may be sent to multimedia computer 110, via e-mail servers 120 and 130, and the internet. When a user receives the mixed media message on multimedia computer 110, the user may read the message and play the voice message on the sound board and speaker 170. For the business environment, because multimedia computers are not common, as explained above, the described method has very limited usefulness.
A further enhancement to messaging, is also shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 illustrates a telephone line 180 coupled to a voice-mail server 190. Voice-mail server 190, may include conventional well-known voice-mail features, and as illustrated, voice mail server 190 and e-mail server 120 can be resident on the same computer.
In operation, a telephone call, either external or internal may be routed to voice-mail server 190. Voice-mail server 190 digitizes and records a voice-mail message. Next, e-mail server 120 generates an e-mail message incorporating only the digitized voice-mail message. The user thus is made aware of a voice-mail message by the user""s e-mail system. To listen to the message, a user at multimedia computer 100, may play the voice-mail message through the sound board and speakers 160. Alternatively, the user may dial-up voice-mail server 190 in a conventional manner to listen to the message.
What is needed is an apparatus and a method of use for enabling mixed-media messaging using resources more commonly available in a business environment and for enabling Internet-based telephone for a business environment.
The present invention discloses methods and apparatus for recording mixed-media messages using an integrated messaging server in response to a client application, the integrated messaging server including a processor coupled to a telephone switching server, to a storage, and to a message server, the method includes the steps of receiving a voice message using a handset coupled with an analog line to the telephone switching server and storing the voice message in the storage. The method also includes the steps of receiving a message from the client application using the message server and associating the voice message with the message to form a mixed-media message.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, an integrated messaging server for recording mixed-media messages in response to a client application and a telephone handset includes a telephone switching server coupled to the telephone handset for receiving a voice message, a storage coupled to the telephone switching server for storing the voice message, and a message server coupled to the storage for receiving an electronic mail message from the client application and for associating the electronic mail message and the voice message to form a mixed-media message.
According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a computer system including a computer program for recording mixed-media messages in response to a client application and a telephone handset, the computer program including a processor coupled to a telephone switching server, to a storage, and to a message server, includes a computer-readable memory including code that directs a handset coupled with an analog line to the telephone switching server to receive a voice message, code that directs the storage to store the voice message, code that directs the message server to receive a document from the client application, and code that directs the message server to associate the voice message with the document to form a mixed-media message.
Further understanding of the nature and advantages of the invention may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and drawings.